Such a stop arrangement is known, for example, from the document EP 1 600 590 A2.
The production of motor-vehicle bodies and body parts is subject to tolerances. On the other hand, one aim in the body making business is to avoid rattling. However, with a hinged connection of a flap such as a tailgate or an engine bonnet to a vehicle body, these tolerances may cause rattling to occur. It is accordingly desired to keep the flap in place on the body under a slight tension when it is in a closed state to prevent rattling noises. This takes place by providing adjustable stop arrangements on the body and/or on the flap to make it possible to compensate for the tolerances for each individual vehicle. This may involve providing a stop arrangement that comprises a buffer part or damping part which butts directly against the other component (for example against the body). Alternatively, it is possible to provide a stop arrangement that forms a fixed stop on one of the components and for the stop arrangement to be assigned a buffer element or damping element on the other component.
In the case of the stop arrangement that is known from the document EP 1 600 590 A2, a stop arrangement is formed by providing a body panel with a hole in which a cage with an internal thread is inserted. The cage is formed in the manner of a pot and extends to the inner side of the body part. A threaded stud that forms the stop can be screwed into the cage. The distance between the upper side of the threaded stud and the body can be set by turning the threaded stud. Furthermore, means for securing the position of the threaded stud set in this way are provided.
Against this background, it is one aspect of the invention to provide an improved stop arrangement and an improved method for setting up a stop for two components that are movable with respect to each other.
The above aspect may be achieved in the case of the stop arrangement according to the invention by the fastening element being formed as a stud which is rigidly joined to a surface of the first component.
Furthermore, the above aspect may be achieved by a method for setting up a stop for two components that are movable with respect to each other, comprising the steps of:                joining a stud having a first threaded portion to a surface of one of the components;        fixing a latching part to the stud;        screwing a stop part having a second threaded portion onto the stud, the stop part coming into latching engagement with the latching part; and        turning the stop part on the stud in a latching manner until a desired height of the stop part with respect to the one component is achieved.        
In the case of exemplary embodiment of the stop arrangement according to the invention and exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention, a stop may be formed without it being necessary to provide an opening in the respective component. This allows problems with regard to sealing and corrosion to be avoided.
The stud can be connected to the respective component in any way desired, for example by adhesive bonding. For example, the stud may be joined to the surface of the component by the stud welding that is known in the prior art. It goes without saying here that the stud is formed from an electrically conductive material such as a metal.
Furthermore, the stop arrangement can be obtained with very few components, in the simplest case just with the stud and the stop part.
The stop part may be formed in the manner of a shroud and covers the stud.
In this way, the stop arrangement can be formed in an aesthetically attractive manner.
According to a another embodiment, the stop part may have a central portion, on which the second threaded portion is formed, and a shroud portion extending from it.
The central portion may, for example, be a screw portion, which is screwed into a threaded bore of the stud. The stud may be formed with an external thread and the central portion may be formed as a hollow portion with an internal thread.
The stop part may be designed in such a way that it does not touch the component in any screwed position, in order to avoid accumulations of water in this region. However, according to an exemplary embodiment, the shroud portion of the stop part may cover over a flange portion that is often provided on the stud, so that only the shroud-shaped stop part can be seen from the outside.
The fixing of the stop part with respect to the stud can take place in any way desired, for example by an adhesive, such as a delayed-curing adhesive.
In an exemplary embodiment, a latching part to which the stop part is fixed in a latching manner in the circumferential direction is rigidly fixed to the stud.
In the case of this embodiment, the stop arrangement can be obtained with only three components. The latching part can be rigidly fixed to the stud after the stud is joined onto the surface of the component. Then different latching positions in which the stop part is respectively fixed can be obtained between the stop part and the latching part during the turning of the stop part.
The stud may have a shank portion and a flange portion, which projects in the radial direction with respect to the shank portion, the latching part being fixed to the flange portion.
Such a flange portion is provided on the stud with preference between the shank portion and the joining location. Furthermore, the flange portion also extends in the radial direction with respect to the joining location and is kept at a distance from the component.
The latching part may have at least one latching nose which engages axially behind the flange portion.
In this way, the latching part can be fixed in the axial direction by a simple working step, to be specific by clipping onto the stud.
According to another embodiment, the flange portion and the latching part respectively have a twist-preventing contour, which act on each other in such a way that the latching part is fixed on the stud in the circumferential direction.
Such a twist-preventing contour may, for example, be a polygonal contour which is formed on the outer circumference of the flange portion (or on the inner circumferential portion of the latching part).
Furthermore, the latching part may have at least one latching lug on which the stop part acts.
The latching lug may be fixed in the circumferential direction and in the axial direction with respect to the stud, but with preference can be radially deflected to obtain a latching engagement between the latching part and the stop part.
A plurality of such latching lugs that are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction are provided on the latching part. In the same way, a plurality of latching noses that are arranged such that they are distributed in the circumferential direction and engage axially behind the flange portion are provided with preference.
The latching part and/or the stop part may be produced from a plastic, for example, by an injection-moulding process.
The stop part may have a shroud portion which covers over the latching part, at least one latching groove which cooperates with the latching lug to fix the stop part in a latching manner in the circumferential direction being formed on an inner circumferential surface of the shroud portion.
However, a latching effect between the latching part and the stop part can also be created by latching grooves being formed on the latching part and latching lugs being formed on the stop part.
According to another embodiment, the stop part has such a latching groove which is formed as a longitudinal groove, that is to say extends essentially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the stud.
Such a stop part can be easily produced by the injection-moulding process.
Furthermore, the stop part may have a fit-facilitating portion, past which a latching lug is guided when the stop part is screwed onto the stud, to be precise until the latching lug acts on the latching groove.
In this way it is first possible to achieve reliable and easy screw engagement between the stop part and the stud before the latching engagement between the stop part and the latching part is set up.
This fit-facilitating portion may be formed in such a way that the latching lug does not act on the stop part at all in this region.
The fit-facilitating portion may have a fitting latching groove which is aligned with the latching groove of the stop part and has a greater depth than the latching groove.
In this way, a latching effect between the stop part and the latching part that can be overcome with little expenditure of force on account of the greater depth of the fitting latching groove is also achieved during the screwing-on operation.
The depth of the fitting latching groove may, for example, be formed such that a worker can screw the stop part onto the stud by hand until the latching lug engages in the actual latching groove (fixing latching groove).
The depth of the fixing latching groove may in this case be chosen such that turning of the stop part is no longer possible by hand, but can only be obtained by means of a tool.
The stop part may have at least one depression for placing a tool.
Such a depression may, for example, be formed on a head portion of the stop part.
As an alternative to this, it is also possible to make the stop part essentially smooth on the outside.
In the case of this embodiment, a tool which acts with frictional engagement on the outer circumference of the stop part is used for the latching adjustment of the stop part.
According to another embodiment, a plurality of markings spaced apart in the circumferential direction are formed on the outside of the stop part.
These markings may, for example, be numbers. This measure allows better orientation for the worker to be obtained during the screwing-on operation.
Furthermore, the stop part may be connected to an elastic buffer part or damping part.
In the case of this embodiment, it is possible to form the stop arrangement in such a way that it cooperates directly with the other component. In other words, for example, a stop face of a tailgate can be pressed directly onto the elastic buffer part of the stop part to keep it in place under tension without any rattling.
The buffer part and the stop part may be produced by a two-component injection-moulding process, so that the buffer part and the stop part are formed in one piece with each other.
However, it is also conceivable to adhesively bond the buffer part to the stop part or connect them in some other way.
The stop arrangement may have a latching part which is fixed to the stud.
As an alternative to this, however, it is also possible that the stud has a latching face on which the stop part is supported in a latching manner in the circumferential direction.
According the stop arrangement can be obtained with only two components.
In the case of the method according to the invention, it is preferred if the stud, the latching part and the stop part are made to match one another in such a way that the stop part can first be screwed onto the stud with little expenditure of force, until the stop part and the latching part come into latching engagement.
Latching engagement is meant here to mean any latching engagement that leads to final fixing of the stop part with respect to the stud in the circumferential direction.
It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those still to be explained below can be used not only in the combination respectively specified but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the scope of the present invention.